Adrian man wants his cannons back

ADRIAN — Dennis Dermanelian wants his cannons back and he wants whoever took them to be convicted of theft.

“This is very personal to me,” Dermanelian, 77, of Adrian said of the two, 350 pound iron cast cannons, which sat outside his home in the Hidden River North neighborhood.

He also said his prized American flag, which he received while serving in the U.S. Army, was damaged beyond repair during the incident.

This all occurred sometime between 10 a.m. Saturday and 4 a.m. Sunday. He contacted the Adrian Police Department and an investigation was opened, but nothing has turned up yet.

He’s now offering a $600 reward for any leads that will result in him getting his cannons back and seeing those responsible charged and convicted, which is what he really wants.

“I don’t expect to see them again, but I would like to see the people who did this be held accountable,” he said.

He had the cannons for 42 years and they followed him through various home moves. He said he didn’t chain them down because he thought where they were placed, near Hidden River’s main office under very bright street lights, they would be safe.

He said he figures those who took them probably want to scrap them for money. He said he paid around $1,000 for them when he purchased them from out of country and had them specially imported.

If anyone has tips or leads on the whereabouts of his prized possessions, Dermanelian is asking they call the Adrian police at 517-264-4808.